ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released his third mock draft Thursday – the latest installment in the absurd hype machine that is the run-up to the NFL Draft.

A week ago, colleague Dom Cosentino offered a properly skeptical look at how ESPN’s Todd McShay had the Jets taking Southern California wide receiver Marqise Lee with the 18th pick, after projecting them to select Oregon State receiver Brandin Cooks in his previous mock draft.

For what it is worth (pretty much nothing), McShay had the Jets picking Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins in his first mock draft, back in December. Of course, Watkins is not going to fall anywhere close to the 18th pick, as it turns out.

Kiper projected Lee to the Jets in both of his first two mock drafts. On Thursday, he did not exactly go out on a limb, but he did change his projection, for what it is worth (again, pretty much nothing).

Kiper now projects the Jets to pick LSU receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who is familiar with the Jets’ new special teams coordinator, Thomas McGaughey, because McGaughey held that role at LSU before coming to the Jets this offseason to replace Ben Kotwica.

However the draft’s first round shakes out, it seems likely that the Jets will pick a receiver or tight end with their first selection. On Wednesday night, they acquired Denver receiver Eric Decker in free agency. They have already re-signed their best tight end, Jeff Cumberland. But their passing game needs more help.

Here is what Kiper had to say about Beckham in his latest mock draft, Thursday …

Free agency factors here, but the addition of Eric Decker is only helpful, not a solution at the wide receiver position on this roster. And again, you can't over think free agency as it relates to the draft, because the question of ceiling isn't the same. Beckham has a higher ceiling than anybody in the free-agent market, and has the kind of experience that could make him a quicker conversion than many. A great physical talent, Beckham has improved as a pass-catcher and pushed himself into this range in the draft.

Decker is currently the Jets’ No. 1 receiver, though it is unclear how he will perform in that role without Peyton Manning throwing him passes and Demaryius Thomas filling the role of No. 1 receiver and taking defensive attention away from Decker – as was the case in Denver.

But this is such a deep draft for wide receivers – and the Jets’ situation at the position is so dire – that they could further supplement the position in the draft, especially since it is not clear that Decker will be able to excel as a No. 1 receiver. Moreover, as McGaughey knows, Beckham can be a threat as a return man.

In Kiper’s latest mock draft, he has six receivers getting picked in the first round: Watkins seventh to Tampa Bay, Texas A&M’s Mike Evans 10th to Detroit, Cooks 17th to Baltimore, Beckham 18th to the Jets, Lee 23rd to Kansas City and Florida State’s Kelvin Benjamin 26th to Cleveland.

It is certainly conceivable that the Jets could still end up picking Cooks or Lee, as McShay and Kiper have previously projected. But it appears Evans is now out of their range.

So, probably, is North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron. He is the only tight end Kiper projects to get picked in the first round, and he predicts that the Giants will nab him at No. 12. Ebron had previously been projected to fall to the Jets in some mock drafts.

Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro is considered the second-best tight end in this draft, and a borderline first-rounder.